Small Cars With Top Safety Ratings

For those wanting to buy a small car - especially to save money on fuel costs, safety can be a major concern.

Now there's good news - the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named six small cars, including two hybrids, for the Top Safety Pick designation.

The vehicles are:

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Honda Civic

2011 Hyundai Elantra

2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid

2011 Nissan Juke

2011 Toyota Prius

Criteria to win include top ratings of Good in front, side, rear and roof-strength crash tests. The vehicle must also have electronic stability control.

Frontal crash-worthiness is based on a 40 MPH frontal-offset crash test.

Side evaluation is based on a vehicle being struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph.

Seat and head restraints are tested using a dummy that measures forces on the neck, simulating a collision in the rear at 20 mph.

My Recommendation for Car Shoppers

TrueCar, Edmunds, and 1-800 Car Show are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.
- Gregg Fidan

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About: Gregg Fidan

Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.

If you have any tips or information that will help car buyers save money, please let me know so I can share it with everyone.Email Me Tips

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